June 21st Sunday

From: Newcastle Island        To: Newcastle Island
Start time: 1000        Finish time: 1400      Distance: 12.5 km
Tide: Nanaimo
0425    2.8
0847    3.5
1528    1.3
2247    4.5

     

Good morning Newcastle Island

Up around 5:30 a.m., ate breakfast and made myself a cup of instant coffee. I have decided to slow down a bit and take in a few more sites. I have lots of time left on my holiday and not much farther to go. So I went for a walk around Newcastle Island Provincial Park. In the early years of Nanaimo’s history this island had seen a lot of industrial development. First on the trail was the pulp stone quarry where they used to cut sandstone grindstones for the pulp and paper industry.

Pulp stone cutter

Pulp stone

It was in operation from 1923 to 1932. Then I was off to the sandstone quarry where high quality sandstone blocks were cut for the construction industry on and off throughout the years, beginning in 1869 for the San Francisco Mint to 1955 for the Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, as well as many of BC’s historic buildings.

The sandstone quarry  

The quarry also produced sandstone pillars 

And finally, I walked over to Midden Bay to see what was left of an old coal mine.

A ventilation shaft into the old coal mine beneath Newcastle Island

     I got back to my site, packed up and pushed off the beach around 10 a.m.  Paddling out of Nanaimo Harbour, I headed toward Jack point. The wind and waves had picked up to 15 to 20 knots and they were broadsiding me, so I turned around and went into Nanaimo. I phoned up an old workmate who lives in there and we met up for lunch at a waterfront pub. I had worked with Dan in a few logging camps over the years. He’s 70 years old now and is still drilling and blasting rock and flying his Cessna airplane whenever he gets the chance. Dan is one of those rare people who can tolerate cold water for a very long time. When we worked together he would go swimming in the ocean on a regular basis, right through the winter months. Dan would always invite me to go with him saying in his Czech accent “it is not cold, it is only in your head”.  I have seen this guy fall asleep floating in the ocean on his back in the middle of the winter. He has trained his mind and body to withstand the frigid temperatures well past what any normal human could tolerate. The power of the mind is quite an amazing thing and Dan is a true testament to that. It was good to see my old buddy again.
     Back at camp I had a quite evening. All the other campers had left earlier in the day. I ate dinner and went to bed around 8:30.

Some interesting rock formations around Newcastle Island